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The first feature-complete version of Windows XP is a winner
Windows XP has finally entered that final, almost boring, stage of development, where the product doesn't change that much from build to build, but bugs are squashed, the user interface is refined, and small visual changes are added in a bid to improve its fit and finish. Since the release of Windows XP Beta 2 in late March, very little has changed: The product is still a world-class upgrade to both Windows 9x/Me and Windows NT/2000, and most of the improvements are subtle rather than monumental.
With that in mind, this review will focus on what's changed since Beta 2. For more information about Windows XP, I recommend checking out the numerous other articles I've written.
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User interface and shell
Visual changes to Windows XP RC1 encompass two areas--the somewhat artistic choices of icons, color schemes, and graphical elements; and the general streamlining of the user interface, where clutter is reduced and the overall look and feel is tweaked and improved. Windows XP just looks better than previous versions of Windows and it makes it easier to accomplish tasks by exposing functionality directly in the shell. For RC1, Microsoft has simply improved on the interface jihad that was first seen in Beta 2.
The changes are first obvious when you install Windows XP: The Setup routine (Figure) has been overhauled and branded with Windows XP logos and marketing information. The boot logo has been branded as well (Figure), with a new pulsating progress bar. And the Welcome screen has been tweaked a bit with an animated, waving Windows flag.
Once you to logon to the system, a number of other small changes are apparent. The desktop is now completely devoid of icons, other than the Recycle Bin, and the Quickstart bar--previously on by default in the Professional Edition--is now off by default (Figure). The effect is extremely clean and streamlined. Both Home Edition and Professional have a new Windows XP wallpaper image--Home's is green (Figure), while Pro's is a blue-gray color (Figure).
The Start Menu is now stocked with a number of default application shortcuts, including Windows Media Player, MSN Explorer, Windows Movie Maker, Tour Windows XP, and Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (Figure). One empty spot is reserved for the first application you actually run, but curiously, the Microsoft-placed shortcuts don't remove themselves at all, or for a long period of time, which I find a bit dishonest. (Note: OEM installs--such as those performed by a PC maker--will have three open slots so that the PC maker can add shortcuts to their own application bundles). New additions to the Start Menu include Recent Documents and Printers and Fax, which was added at the request of corporate testers.
Throughout the shell, there are attractive new icons, and the last vestiges of old icons--some of which dated back to Windows 3.1--are finally removed. A new Windows XP Tour advertises itself when you sign on the first time (Figure); the tour offers a Flash-based animated version (Figure) as well as a static HTML version (Figure).
Taskbar buttons have been changed to more closely resemble actual buttons, in response to suggestions from testers (Figure). And when a window needs to send a notification, its taskbar button turns orange (Figure); in Beta 2, only the top portion of the button would change color. The new color change is effective and non-intrusive.
Bowing to complaints from testers, Microsoft has provided two new "visual appearances" (a term that doesn't actually appear in the UI; this is how Microsoft described it to me, though the term "color variations" was also used. One wonders that Microsoft has yet to settle on the terminology for this feature.) The new appearances supplement the default Windows XP visual style (Luna), rather than replace it: Instead of offering an entirely new look and feel, the new visual appearances are basically just differently colored versions of the default UI. So the "Olive Green" appearance (Figure) is exactly what it sounds like--a drab, olive green-colored UI. And the other appearance, "Silver," offers a metallic look and feel; this one is marginally attractive (Figure) . But the overall quality of these two appearances is poor, leading me to wonder why the company didn't include other color schemes. The answer is that more color schemes (or visual appearances, if you prefer) will be available on the Web and via the Windows XP Plus! pack, around the time that Windows XP ships in October. A number of other visual appearances--such as Ruby and Emerald--were in development but didn't make it in time for the RC1 feature-set lockdown.
Another interesting change regards the screen metrics for the Luna-based UI, which were hard-coded in Beta 2. Now, you can change the size of graphical elements such as titlebar buttons, fonts, icons, and the like, which is a welcome change (Figure). Sadly, the graphical-based UI elements often look horrible when resized, however, so your mileage may vary.
Internet Explorer 6 has gone through a number of changes, some of which are still ongoing. Microsoft added Smart Tag functionality to IE 6 after Beta 2, and it's still present in RC1. But this feature will be removed before RTM, so we'll just skip over that. The Personal Bar has been removed since Beta 2, replaced with a nice new Media Bar that provides an in-browser media player so that audio and video can be played from Web sites without the need to open another application (Figure).
Microsoft has upgraded the privacy settings in IE 6 so that they're more granular, offering users a wider range of options. For example, the new Privacy tab in Internet Options (Figure) now sports a "Medium High" privacy setting, and advanced settings allow you to control the way various cookies are handled by the browser. And it's possible to view a site's privacy settings through a new Privacy Report feature (Figure).
Outlook Express has been updated with the Windows XP look and feel, but is otherwise unchanged (Figure). MSN Explorer has been updated to version 6.1, which adds a collapsible My Stuff bar (Figure).
The PC Health features--such as Help and Support, and System Restore--have been updated with new features as well. Help and Support (Figure) has received bucket-loads of new help content, and the user interface has undergone various fit and finish improvements. Contents and indexing are now completed, and the hierarchical taxonomy--the way that help content is arranged--has been finalized. Microsoft is moving away from a task-based approach in Help and is instead basing the UI around short topic lists that expand as you drill down. Help now integrates with a number of other OS features, including Remote Assistance, the Microsoft Knowledge Base and online support site, Windows Update, Windows Catalog, System Restore, and a host of other tools. There are also a number of nice tours and walk-through articles now available from Help as well.
In the area of communications, a number of changes have occurred. Most obvious is the addition of Windows Messenger (Figure), which replaces MSN Messenger and Netmeeting. So Windows Messenger includes the textual and audio chat capabilities from MSN Messenger (a free download for users of other versions of Windows), but it also includes the real-time communications platform and capabilities from Netmeeting, providing users with the ability to perform video chats (Figure). A version of Windows Messenger that ships post-RC1 will support PC-to-phone calls as well.
But Windows Messenger is about far more than chatting: Microsoft will merge its .NET services with Windows through this application, since Windows Messenger integrates with .NET Passport (Figure) and supports the .NET Alerts technology. Today, you can get alerts about email messages and online contacts, but in the future, there will be richer options available. More on that by RTM.
Microsoft has also worked hard to make Windows XP the ultimate home networking and wireless networking client. For home networking, Windows XP can detect whether it is the device attached directly to the Internet connection (the so-called "edge device"), or whether it is downstream from the edge device (which could be a residential gateway, broadband router, another PC, or whatever), and then configure itself accordingly.
The Network Setup Wizard (Figure) replaces the previously-separate Home Networking Wizard and Internet Connection Wizard. By just pressing "Enter" to each choice in the wizard, 90 percent of users will be able to completely configure a home network, without really having to do anything. Windows XP uses Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology to look for an upstream gateway and network location awareness to select the correct network connections for sharing and internal networking. This kind of capability is pretty exciting, because it takes the pain out of networking, and I'll be covering it in more detail in an upcoming Showcase.
Windows XP also supports networking bridging, another complicated networking technology that is generally auto-configured for the user. Bridging allows you to connect two separate networks--say, a standard Ethernet-based wired network and an 802.11b-based wireless network--over two network cards in a single computer. In Windows Me, this was sort of possible, in that the OS supported two (and only two networks); in Windows XP, this feature is far more complete and extensible to a wider range of networks. Windows XP also includes an Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), which is auto-configured for each machine, based on its location in the network. ICF isn't a complete firewall solution, but it does provide basic protection against Internet-based intrusions, and it's inclusion in Windows XP is laudable.
For wireless networking (specifically 802.11b, or "WiFi"), Windows XP is without peer. All modern 802.11b NICs are auto-detected by Windows XP and, best of, installed without any need for configuration. This also includes mobility functionality, so that you can move to a new wireless network--at, say, work, Starbucks, or the airport-- and have the wireless card auto-configure on the fly and keep you online. I've been testing 802.11b wireless networking for about three months now and I'm sold: Even around the house, the mobility you get with this kind of networking makes it hard to live without. I strongly recommend that people upgrading to Windows XP look into wireless networking, especially for laptops.
Digital Media
Windows XP was designed from the ground up to support a variety of end-to-end digital media tasks, and it is this aspect of the operating system that I'm most excited about. Indeed, I'm so excited about it that I wrote a book, imaginatively titled Windows XP Digital Media. Anyhoo, Windows XP makes it possible for even novice users to be up and running immediately with digital media features, and really, it's the fun stuff that makes this whole thing worthwhile.
A big change since Beta 2 regards the auto-play functionality of digital media devices, such as audio CDs, blank recordable CDs, DVDs, digital cameras, digital video cameras, and the like. Now, when such a device is plugged in, an auto-play dialog appears, giving you a list of media-specific options from which to choose (Figure). You can choose an option each time such a device is plugged into the system, or you can choose the default choice and have that always happen on device connection.
For RC1, Windows Media Player 8 has been renamed to Windows Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) and given a new (though faked) Windows XP-inspired user interface (Figure)--that is, it doesn't actually use Visual Styles to change its appearance, as IE 6 does. MPXP supports a number of new features. You can (manually) add lyrics to Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3 files (Figure). You can display CD album art as a pseudo-visualization (Figure). And a new visualization suite--Battery--has been added (Figure).
For DVD and digital video playback, the full screen controls have been improved to support playlist display. And it's easier to get into full screen now, thanks to a Full Screen button in the player. What's missing from full screen mode, however, is the fading feature that was promised back in February, where the full screen controls would visual fade into the background when not used. Instead, the controls simply scroll off-screen, which achieves the same uncluttered appearance, but without the cool effect.
MPXP supports more DVD decoders, but this feature still feels half-implemented: Windows XP requires that you install a separate software DVD player, such as PowerDVD or WinDVD, before you can play DVDs in MPXP. But even after you install such a player, MPXP isn't full featured: You can't adjust color balance or brightness in the player, for example.
A new tour gets people up and running with the myriad of features in MPXP (Figure).
For shell-based work, the My Music folder has improved somewhat since Beta 2 as well. My Music was always able to display WMA metadata information, but now it supports this capability for MP3 files as well. So you can add metadata information to MP3 files right from the shell (Figure) and it affects the underlying ID3 tag information. This is good stuff, implemented correctly. MP3s can also implement album art information now as well.
For users interested in editing digital movies, Windows Movie Maker (WMM) 1.1 offers some key improvements when compared to the Beta 2 release, though it still falls short of Apple's excellent iMovie 2 software. WMM 1.1 now supports uncompressed AVI (720 x 480) movies, so you can record in the highest resolution possible, edit the video, and then create a near-DVD-quality movie. For PDA interoperability, WMM also supports new output profiles that match the capabilities of those handheld devices. This will make it easier to bore fellow airplane passengers with your home movies, presumably.
Setup and installation
For installation and upgrading, Windows XP RC1 offers a number of improvements over Beta 2. The new Windows Upgrade Advisor (Figure) is a good example. This tool runs during Setup, but you can also run it separately from the Windows XP CD-ROM, and Microsoft will offer it for free from the Web and various retail stores later this summer. This tool polls your hardware configuration and gives you an idea of what your upgrade or installation experience will be like. And because it is updateable via Windows Update, the tool is always up-to-date. The Windows Upgrade Advisor will find supported hardware and software in your software and let you know what will and won't look.
For most people, Windows Product Activation (WPA) will be the one major disappointment in Windows XP (Figure). This technology basically ensures that each copy of Windows XP can only be installed on a single system, preventing what Microsoft calls "casual copying," where a user might share a single copy of Windows with various PCs, or other friends and family members. I won't beat it to death here, but WPA is a huge mistake, and one that Microsoft should immediately and irrevocably remedy. However, I see no indication of this happening, based on conversations I've had with various people at the company. Thus, you can expect to see WPA in the final version of Windows XP, and it's present in RC1 of course.
One subtle confusion: Activation and registration are not the same thing. Each copy of Windows XP must be activated, but you are not required to register Windows.
Other changes
There are a number of subtle improvements in Windows XP RC1, and I've tried to cover the important ones here. Other changes include a few improvements to Windows XP Home Edition, which now includes the NT Backup utility and support for multiple monitors. Under Home Edition, NT Backup doesn't support the new Automated System Recovery (ASR) features, however, so Home users won't be able to take advantage of this. Also, NT Backup is not installed by default under Home Edition; you have to grab it off the CD-ROM and install it separately.
Overall, performance is much snappier in RC1 than it was in Beta 2, and this will improve a little bit more by RTM as well. Windows XP boots demonstrably faster now as well, which is nice, and new Fast Boot hardware will reduce boot up time to just several seconds on newer machines.
Windows XP RC1 takes the very stable and impressive base of Beta 2 and makes a number of subtle and not-so-subtle improvements. Even in this unfinished state, Windows XP offers major improvements over both Windows 9x/Me and NT/2000. For Windows 9x users, Windows XP finally moves them into the world of stability and reliability that NT/2000 users take for granted. But for NT/2000 users, Windows XP provides the hardware and software compatibility that were previously unheard of on those platforms. For any user of Windows, the new user interface in Windows XP is a huge improvement over anything else that's available. And most importantly, the new task-based interface provides new users and experienced pros alike with a system with which they will be immediately productive.
It's hard to understate the importance of this release. Windows 2000 was important for businesses, because it moved those users ahead with a platform that was extensible and supported modern hardware and technologies. But Windows XP speaks to a far larger group--consumers, home users, enthusiasts, and gamers--making the stakes higher, and the goals loftier. That Microsoft was able to hit it on the head so completely is somewhat stunning, especially when you consider that this release has really only been in development for less than two years.
Windows XP RC1 will be available to an unprecedented audience, for as little as $10 in the United States. I strongly recommend that all users of Windows evaluate this release and plan accordingly for the future. Come October, you're going to want to upgrade or buy a new PC. Spend a little time with Windows XP RC1, and that will be obvious.


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Tiger Woods withdrawing from golf to work on his family problems was a brilliant maneuver. He went from a place where any person from pundit to straphanger who was able to put together a cohesive sentence tried to outdo each other in efforts to revile him, but now root for him to succeed. America loves second acts, and soon the clamor for him to return to golf will be deafening.
Initially, Woods violated PR 101 – you must get ahead of the story – not like Woods, bleeding day after day in the nation's media, becoming the subject of late-night TV comics and standing by helplessly as paramour after paramour popped up. His, what charitably could be called, love life became like a bakery: "Take a number. Next."
Woods makes (or made) approximately $117 million a year from golf, but $100 million of that came from endorsements. These will ultimately be toast – all of them. From what the ladies in question explained, he could not even become a spokesman for condoms.
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His surviving endorsements could not drop him now since they are in the midst of advertising campaigns, not to mention possible backlash from still-remaining fans, and there is, of course, the folk myth of not hitting a guy when he is down (tactically, it is probably the best time). The companies will wait until the termination of the contracts – nowadays sports endorsement contracts are of short duration, and they all have moral clauses – elsewise they would face the wrath of pious shareholders from the Midwest (or wherever piety dwells) at annual shareholder meetings.
TRENDING: Trump gives short list of possible VPs
Woods tried to buy peace, by upping the ante on another front – his wife – to buy her silence, but he miscalculated the serial appearances of different women (one wonders when he got the time to play golf). But Jackie Mason explained that Clinton could spend 20 minutes committing adultery, and he had the rest of the day to be president.
People fail to understand that an adulterer's business is adultery. It is not an addiction and not a sickness; it is a character flaw. Doctors tell alcoholics trying to break the habit to remember how ill and sick they felt the morning after. Adulterers feel fine the morning after. They had exercise and adulation and no conscience to trouble them.
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The future: Mrs. Woods will hang on for another two years to reap the benefits of a pre-nuptial agreement that has now been transferred into a post-nuptial agreement. Tiger Woods will go back to golf and adultery (perhaps more selective and secretive in his choice of partners), and the public will suffer from their usual communal amnesia.

subset: commoncrawl


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I've found that I'm now splitting my time quite a bit between London (where I live) and New York City (where OpenGamma's second investor lives, and where we're opening an office). As such, I've started facing some of the major issues faced by modern, fully-connected individuals dealing with multiple countries on a regular basis.
In Which Americans Fear International Dialing
So let's start with one very simple fact: Americans, as a whole, have a dramatic aversion to ever, under any circumstances, dialing a foreign phone number. Partially this is because they can call the entire United States, as well as Canada, without having to ever learn how to dial properly internationally. Partially this is a reflection that every US carrier (landline or mobile) will shaft you if you dare to dial a foreign phone number without planning very far in advance. Partially this is because except for a few key, international industries and roles within those industries, Americans just don't have to do this on a regular basis. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that for a massively large cross-section of USAmerica, international phone numbers may as well simply not exist.
Europeans are far more used to dialing internationally: we have to. If you had to dial internationally to dial someone living in the next state, you'd get more used to it. If I try to give out a British phone number to a French restaurant to reserve a table, I just say "country code 44" or if typing, "+44" and they know what to do. In America, you start with "country code" and before you know it, someone's asking you if you have a US phone number. If you don't, they just don't bother.
So if you spend much time in the US, you need a US phone number. Which I now have.
In Which Mobile Carriers Shaft You
So let's consider all the ways in which mobile carriers will shaft you, the well meaning international traveller:
- You'd like to place a call from your phone, physically located abroad, to your home country? That'd be an extortionate charge, thank you very much.
- You'd like to place a call from your phone, physically located abroad, to somewhere next door to where you're physically located? That'd be an extortionate charge, thank you very much.
- You'd like to receive a call on your phone while physically located abroad? That'd be an extortionate charge, thank you very much.
- You'd like to do something as daft as call a third-party country while abroad? That'd be at least double the extortionate charges as the ones before.
- You'd like to turn on data roaming and actually consume mobile data? Hold on to your wallet; you'd be shocked and horrified at just how much that's going to cost you. In fact, don't bother. For the price of a one-week trip, you can buy a throwaway smartphone and SIM if you're willing to use a second device.
For all those reasons, when I set out to get a US phone number, I made sure that it was on a smartphone (Android; separate blog post to come on a long-standing iPhone partisan learning his way around Android). This way I should, in theory, cover all my bases: iPhone + UK home number when in the UK (and phone/SMS roaming in case someone should call me from home); Android + US phone number when in the US (and phone/SMS roaming in case someone should call me from the US).
There was just one problem: trying to corral all my SMS conversations.
Enter Kik
Those of you on O2's shockingly horrifically bad (think: you have to get over the thought that your SMS messages will reach their destination in less than a few days, if at all) SMS service will feel me when I say that SMS rocks, but O2's provision of it is virtually unusable.
Given the amount of time that I spend abroad, and given how bad SMS is for O2 iPhone users here in London, I thought I'd give Kik a try.
Kik's a great service, in that it's Just Like SMS, with a few key advantages:
- It's instant. I've sent Kik messages between two devices next to each other, and they're very often delivered within the 100ms that defines human reaction time.
- You can see when they've been handed off to the recipient device, and when they've been read.
- It uses your data allocation rather than SMS allocation, which in this world of millions of free messages a month isn't that useful, but when you're abroad and SMS-ing people all over the world, it matters.
Basically, the best way to explain it is that Kik is Blackberry Messenger for any smartphone device, which is why RIM kicked it off the Blackberry.
So I got excited, and convinced the majority of the people that I text the most to get Kik.
Aside: The Dataficiation of Primary Phone Functionality
One of the most interesting things that I find about Kik and Skype and all manner of other services coming to smartphones is the conversion of functionality that used to be specific and dedicated to the phone networks to pure data-only plays. Phone calls? Skype/VOIP over your data connection. SMS? Kik. MMS? Facebook photo upload. Video calling? Facetime/Skype. All these things that mobile carriers built very specific functionality for in their networks are being very quickly replaced by equivalent (but superior) functionality delivered over the data pipe. I reckon it won't be very long before the first iPhone/Android phone (or carrier plan) that only works with data, and doesn't have dedicated logic for phone calls and the like.
Kik Shows Its Limitations
So I'm prepared. I've got my iPhone for the UK, I've got my Galaxy S for the US, I've got a bunch of people on Kik, I'm ready to go.
And then I actually try to use it in the manner I was intending. It doesn't work as I thought it would. D'oh!
Kik only supports a one-device-per-account model. Log in using your Android phone? It now gets all messages, and your iPhone gets none. And it only gets new messages. History? Nope.
Log back in on your iPhone? Your Android phone gets logged off, and you lose all the old messages you already had on your iPhone.
This is not what I had in mind, and as a result (it took me a while to actually figure this out) I just went back to SMS on my most recent trip to the states. At least then I've got history (though of course it's not across devices).
The Ultimate Feature Enhancement
So let's get to the meat of this long-winded tale. What would make Kik really solve my instant-IM-on-a-phone conundrum? Better support for multiple devices.
What does that mean in practice?
- I can log in from multiple devices simultaneously
- When I log in from a new device, full history of conversations is downloaded
- When a new message comes in, it's delivered to all logged-in devices (and the message has been read notification follows the first one on which I read it)
- When I send a message on one device, the sent message gets delivered to all other devices.
Here's the thing: I'm actually willing to pay (and pretty handsomely) for an enhanced version of the application/service that does this. You want to make it a paid-for enhancement? 100% fine by me. Just say the word.
So Kik team, ball's in your court. Great service, 90% of what I want, highly recommended in general if you live on one device, just that last bit needed to satisfy the multi-device, multi-national crowd.
Turns out this problem has left many people I introduced to Kik leaving the platform. I raised it on the official Kik GetSatisfaction page. Let's see if they respond.


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benjamin boretz Quotes
Benjamin Boretz Quotes
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'...Do I have to tell you about the spiritual cannibalism of the culture, our culture, which has been bombarding us with ultrasensory overstimulation aiming to reprocess us into fulltime consumption machines, stealing above all from us our time (not an inch of time without an imprint of message), and even our very sense of time (to be measured in lengths of no more than one message unit each) under the guise of entertainment, and even of 'art,' commoditizing the eternal, hyping the primal? Our time is the sine qua non of our identity. We need to take extreme measures to reclaim it for ourselves and each other.'
'The very being of music is created by cognitive attributions made by individual perceiving or conceiving imaginers, in individual acts of perceiving or conceiving--that, in fact, the only real music 'theory' IS the creative-intellectual transaction which ontologizes music itself.'
'Even discourse which does not acknowledge 'musical coherence' as 'intellectual communication' does not in fact succeed in treating it as anything else; it is only by locating their concerns in domains where the 'musical' aspects of music are peripherally or not at all involved that musical discourses can circumvent the fact that when the 'object of thought' consists of the contents of a musical composition just the recognition of the identities of any of these contents (or even of the undivided single identity of them taken all together as a 'unit') involves (to varying degrees) the same considerations that are involved in a discourse that explicitly--and hence with a better chance of cognitive particularity--regards such a composition as an instance of communicative thought.'
'Even the most, 'emotive' view of music has to 'be' emotive 'about something distinct', which necessarily involves having a 'theory' about it, for better or worse, in awareness or unawareness, and that a 'musical' something distinct can be cognitively understood as an 'emotional experience' only insofar as it is first cognitively understood as a human-communicative manifestation, as an 'instance of thought'.
benjamin boretz
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By now you've probably read Greg Smith OpEd at the NY Times on why he left Goldman Sachs.
At first I read it and I thought "good, someone is daring to bring ethics into the discussion". But upon re-reading it I ended up thinking "what bullshit".
Mr Smith , thirteen years is long to realize what an investment bank is for. Investment banks (assuming they don't use their own balance sheet for a minute) mediate between those who need capital and people who have money to invest, between those who need to hedge risk and those who seek it, and between those who buy companies and those who build it. Their profitability is predicated on how well they do this reliably, and how much margin they can take by being in the middle. To attack them for optimizing profits (and thinking of customers as sources of profits) is misunderstanding their nature. Mr Smith woke up and smelled the coffee.
The employees of investment banks are incentivized purely on the annual net margin they can generate. Think about it : have a great year, kill it, get $2M or $10M and be made for life. No one else is tooled like they are to optimize profit everywhere it can be made. They have better mathematicians, better systems and better salesmen. They have no incentive to care about any of the externalities that they create.
In that sense Darth Vader's hilarious "Why I left the Empire" is the best possible response.
What happened in the run-up to the financial crisis is that EVERYONE thought they could create value out of thin air and forgot the basics. Financial engineering does not generate value that was not there to start with.
- As an asset manager, you can invest in bonds, equities, commodities, hedge funds and so on. What you cannot do is invest in a structured note that links the payout to a basket of commodity options and hope somehow you will make more money, when what you are clearly doing is enabling your investment bank to fudge the returns profile and make a higher margin. Greed makes you buy things you don't understand.
- As a bank you cannot hope that selling off all your risk through securitization but keeping the equity portion (i.e. the toxic piece) really releases capital. What you're doing is playing with the capital adequacy regulations so you can be more leveraged. And driving more margin to your investment bank.
- As an individual you cannot do continuous equity release on your mortgage and buy plasma screens. What you're doing is speculating on the housing market with the place where you want your kids to grow.
Investment banks are what they are. They are not and will never be aligned with their clients. They want to maximize their margin by being the most inventive middleman they can be. That is their M.O. and there is nothing moral or immoral about it : it simply does not enter into the equation. It's what they do and by the way they are a necessary and important cog in efficient financials markets. What with have today is the tail wagging the dog, but don't blame them for being good at what they do.
I left investment banking after seven years and pretty much as soon as I understood this. I wrote about some of the shit we used to do to give you a sense of how everything can be arbitraged if people let you. Why did I leave ? Because it's hardly aspirational, because it was clear we were going to destroy value and because I subscribe to notion of sustainability and, to use Umair Haque, Betterness. I subscribe to the Manifesto.
If you want to change the system, and we should, here what needs to happen:
- The industry as a whole should accept Behavioural Economics and Chaos Finance and stop trying to be so smart in devising increasingly complex instruments that cannot be understood / modelled / controlled.
- Every asset manager (the guys who invest your pension money) should be compensated on a long-term incentive package and assets held should be fully understood and manageable by the investor. Most should have long-term buy and hold strategies instead of constantly trading on results.
- Every market (e.g. credit derivatives) should be standardized, made transparent and disintermediated by technology. Take margins out, bring transparency in.
- Commercial banks who deal with people's life savings should be heavily regulated and treated for what they are, utilities. I don't want the people providing my mortgage to have expertise in anything other than whether I am a good credit risk or not.
- As for investment banks, they should continue to do what they do best: raise capital, run M&A, and so forth. How profitable they are depends on how profitable you want them to be.
- What happened in the wake of the financial crisis is one of the great swindles of all time. To take a leaf out of J.P. Rangaswami's awesome LIFT talk on "Tech Vs People" (@jobsworth), the losses that came out of the financial crisis were socialized and the profits were privatized, in the exact opposite manner in which the open source community functions, where successes are shared with the community that then improves and propagates the gains whilst losses remain private (you project tanks, you just wasted your time).
Amongst investment banks, Goldman Sachs is a well run firm that stays (usually) on the right side of the law. They are better than many of their competitors and insanely good at what they do. Asking them to be agents of change in building a better world is misplaced – they are just not designed for that. However how much power and money you decide to give them is mostly down to you.
Again borrowing from JP, "you don't get a medal for critizing, you get a medal for how constructive your criticism can be". Mr Smith woke up to the reality of investment banks — instead of demonizing them, he should think about how you redefine their importance and take power away from them.
Let's attack the cause, and not the symptom.
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See Also:
- Former Goldman MD: 'Lloyd Is A Millstone' Around Our Necks
- GOLDMAN FIGHTS BACK: Greg Smith Was An Insignificant Peon With No Responsibilities
- Dick Bove Explains Why Goldman Clients Won't Care At All About Greg Smith's NYT Op-Ed


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GM Passlock Security Fix |
NOTE: 6/7/2011 - The PREFERRED method of doing this fix .... NO SOLDERING REQUIRED can be found here: bergerweb.net/PasslockFixThis article describes how to bypass the "Passlock Security System" on several models of GM cars. CAUTION - If you decide to do this modification, read this entire article thoroughly, and perform every step. Do not leave out any of the steps. I repeat.... Do not leave out any step. The ProblemYou try to start your GM car. The engine starts, but dies in one or two seconds, and the "SECURITY" light begins flashing. OR ... You are driving along, and for no apparent reason, the "SECURITY" light comes on solid and stays on. After you shut down your vehicle, the next time you start your car the SECURITY light is on solid. This is a common problem on the following GM Cars The problem is usually caused by the Security Module, which is part of the Ignition Lock Module. Your owner's manual gives you the following advise "After attempting to start the engine, if the SECURITY light flashes or stays on, wait ten minutes with the key in ON until the light goes off. Then turn the ignition to OFF before attempting to start the engine again." This works! Unfortunately, a few weeks later, you will probably have to go through the entire routine again. It will get under your skin really bad the third time, and after that, you will start kicking the dash and swearing. The menu to the left will guide you through the steps necessary to bypass the Passlock Security System on a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero, and keep the "SECURITY" light off forever. The steps necessary are similar on the other models listed above. There are generally only minor differences in how to get the radio out to get to the wires. In GM cars, there is a bundle of three wires which go from the Body Control Module to the Ignition Switch. They are Black (analog return), White (power), and Yellow (analog data). The Yellow wire is circuit #1836, and this is the wire that furnishes an analog signal to the Body Control Module to tell it that a key has been used to turn the lock cylinder to the ON position. The three wires can be accessed by removing the radio from the dashboard, and reaching through a hole in the radio compartment toward the steering wheel. This article describes how to reach these wires and modify the circuit to bypass the security module in the ignition switch. |


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Jeremy Irons on Love, Directors, and Antiques
When Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons auditioned for theater school in the 1960s, he wasn't the shoo-in many would now suspect, given his subsequent accolades. "I just told the admissions panel, 'Well, I think I might quite like the life of being an actor.' That's apparently not what they wanted to hear." Of the four English schools he applied to, only the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School took the bite. Last Tuesday, New School for Drama students and faculty had a rare opportunity to hear such stories not often told, as Irons peppered anecdotes like this throughout his Q and A session with faculty member and actress Karen Ludwig.
In front of a tightly packed audience at the Drama Theatre, Irons and Ludwig's hour-long conversation covered quite a range. From love scenes with Meryl Streep (an experience both share actors share: Irons' A French Lieutenant's Woman and Ludwig's Manhattan) speculations on his true calling ("I always thought I'd end up an antique dealer"), and the makings of a good director ("He's like a great chef; ingredients have to simmer"), the actor's responses drew in many laughs and, more than once, applause. When asked why he initially pursued acting as a career, Irons said that he "loved the smell, the theatre house, and the idea that everyone involved was working their own life."
With notable awards such as a "Best Actor" Oscar for Reversal of Fortune, two Golden Globes, and an Emmy, Irons' work transcends both film and theater. He is commended for his virtuosity in portraying some of literature's more difficult roles, such as Humbert Humbert from Lolita. Stay tuned via the connect portal for video of the Q and A session.


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2015 Dodge Charger
Extensively revised for 2015, Dodge Charger is America's four-door muscle car, full of presence and in some cases fury. It looks mean but rides well, is quite practical from a room and capacity standpoint, and can be had with all-wheel drive or packing a knock-out punch.
Though trimmed and slimmed around the edges and as distinctive and threatening as always, the 2015 Charger is no lighter or smaller than the outgoing version. Almost all the exterior is new for 2015 yet recognition is still immediate, day or night. No posers here, all the scoops, ducts, vents and spoilers on the performance models are fully functional.
Charger will carry four adults comfortably and child-seat in between without effort, and there's generous trunk to bring everything with you; unlike some sedans the rear seats fold for big-screen television load space. Unless you have a very small garage Charger can cover all your family driver needs.
Entertainment options include 276-watt Alpine, 552-watt 10-speaker Beats Audio, and 900-watt 19-speaker harman/kardon sound systems. Configurable driver displays and the Uconnect infotainment system have an excellent blend of conventional and touch-screen controls.
With about 300 horsepower and an 8-speed transmission the standard V6 Charger offers brisk acceleration and 30-plus mpg road-tripping. All-wheel drive is available for better inclement weather propulsion.
The 2015 Charger lineup includes three V8 Hemi engines across five models, all with appropriately authoritative exhaust notes and generous torque. They include the torquey 370-hp 5.7-liter, the bigger-is-better 485-hp 6.4-liter Hemi and a new supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with 707 horsepower. If descriptors like lunatic fringe or mental fit you and you don't mind new rear tires at every oil change, Dodge has your four-door.
Dynamic performance is very good with a controlled ride and little body lean in corners or heavy braking. Brakes are appropriately good across a lineup in which top speeds vary by 85 mph or so. Precise, fast electric-assist steering varies effort automatically and you can choose the baseline.
Regardless of engine, Charger feels solid, substantial and well put together. Big bumps don't crash through, annoying roads don't rattle the trim and we'd say the finishes match the class, but Charger's almost in a class of one.
Beyond the bodywork, interior updates and Hellcat model, the 2015 Charger now has seven airbags and a suite of safety features that can help cover-up inattentive driving, including lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and forward collision warning and mitigation braking.
Although there are a few rear-drive sedans in Charger's price range, most tend to have more luxury, less power, a higher price or all three. But Charger will be cross-shopped more with things like the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger than the likes of Cadillac CTS or Lexus GS, and a 707-hp Hellcat costs tens of thousands less than a BMW M5, Audi RS7 or Mercedes E AMG.
The only direct Charger competitors are the Chrysler 300 and the Chevrolet SS. The 300 offers similar power choices and is more formal than Charger. SS is offered only with a 415-hp V8, priced between a 485-hp Charger R/T Scat Pack and SRT392. In its favor, the SS will offer a manual transmission choice and is lighter than comparable Chargers.
Model Lineup
There are seven 2015 Charger models. The V6 powered and SE and SXT offer all-wheel drive, the remainder are V8 rear-wheel drive; all Chargers come with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Charger SE ($27,995) comes with a 292-hp 3.6-liter V6. It includes black cloth upholstery, dual-zone air conditioning, power driver seat, 60/40 split-fold rear seat, tilt and telescoping steering column, keyless entry/pushbutton start, LED cabin lighting, AM/FM/Bluetooth 6-speaker audio system with USB/aux inputs, SD card reader, 12VDC power outlets, 5-inch Uconnect display, configurable 7-inch color driver display, three-mode electric power steering, bi-function automatic halogen projector beam headlamps, LED running and taillights, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, power mirrors/windows/locks and 17-inch alloy wheels. All-wheel drive Charger SE ($30,995) includes 19-inch alloy wheels, wider tires and R/T brakes. SE options include a moonroof, universal garage door opener, engine block heater, Sport Appearance group (RWD only) and Popular Equipment group.
Charger SXT ($29,995) and SXT AWD ($32,995) adds to SE with 8.4-inch touchscreen Uconnect Access, LED fog lights, dual-zone climate control, 18-inch aluminum wheels (19 AWD), 276-watt Alpine audio system with AM/FM/SiriusXM/Bluetooth, cloth sport seats, 12-way power driver seat, heated front seats, heated power mirrors, remote start, auto-dimming inside mirror and universal garage door opener. SXT offers nine option packs, and with the Rallye Appearance Group output rises to 300 hp. The SXT Plus group ($2,000) adds ventilated Nappa leather sport seats, heated steering wheel and second-row seats, HID headlamps, polished aluminum wheels, rear park assist system and backup camera.
Charger R/T ($32,995) comes with a 370-hp 5.7-liter V8. Above SXT it adds shift paddles, rear spoiler, firmer suspension, bigger brakes and 20-inch wheels. Options include six packages and a painted black roof. R/T Road & Track ($35,995) is an R/T with heated/ventilated Nappa leather or leather/Alcantara performance seats, 12-way passenger seat, 245/45ZR20 tires on aluminum wheels, three-mode stability control, Performance Pages, heavy-duty brakes, stiffer suspension, larger differential and 3.07:1 axle ratio, high-speed engine controller (145-mph limiter), power-adjustable pedals and heated steering wheel, driver memory system, rear park assist, security alarm, HID headlamps, matte black grille. Three-season performance tires on forged aluminum wheels, 552-watt 10-speaker Beats audio system and 4 option packs are available.
Charger R/T Scat Pack ($39,995) gets a 485-hp 6.4-liter V8, four-piston Brembo front brakes, 20×9-inch wheels, active exhaust system with four-inch round tailpipes, aluminum ducted hood, deeper front and rear fascias and side sills, satin black rear spoiler, black cloth sport seats with embroidered logos, 180-mph speedometer, backup camera, and Scat Pack and HEMI 392 badging.
Charger SRT392 ($47,385) uses the same 485-hp V8 but adds 15.4-inch 6-piston front Brembo brakes, 20×9.5 forged wheels, 275/40ZR20 P Zero all-season tires, three-mode adjustable damping, one-piece rear body-color spoiler, SRT Performance Pages with launch control, high-performance Nappa leather seats with Alcantara suede inserts, heated and ventilated front seats, unique SRT flatbottom three-spoke heated leather-wrapped steering wheel with power tilt and telescoping column, and red push-button start. It comes with a one day SRT Driving Experience school. Options include a moonroof and 900-watt harman/kardon 19-speaker sound system.
Charger SRT Hellcat ($63,995 including gas-guzzler tax) comes with 707-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8. It includes two keys (to control output), unique SRT Performance Pages and steering wheel, aluminum interior trim, 200-mph speedometer, ducted/ventilated aluminum hood, Hellcat badges, SRT Driving Experience and forged aluminum wheels in matte black, brass monkey or dark bronze finish. (All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices and do not include destination charge of $995.)
Safety features on all models include dual front, front side, side curtain and driver knee airbags, electronic stability control, traction control, tire pressure monitors, hill-start assist and antilock brakes with brake assist. Optional safety equipment includes backup camera, rear park sensors, active cruise control with collision warning and mitigation braking, blind spot monitors, rear crossing detection, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, rain-sensing wipers and automatic high beams.
People renting one may think the 2015 Dodge Charger looks as it always has, an in-your-face four-door with a big trunk. It still has abundant presence and trunk space, but apart from the rear doors and roof everything outside is new. The 2015 Charger has been nipped and tucked around the corners, added to curves in between and swept rearward ever so slightly for a more lithe, agile look.
In profile, the classic rear-drive short nose, long tail proportions remain, but the overall effect is more flowing than the predecessor. Ends further tapered in plan view and roof pillar buttresses pulled rearward add aero smoothness, while the deep door scallop (along with the tail lights the primary 1969 Charger coupe styling elements) and broad shoulders over the rear wheels keep the masculine edge.
Side marker lights ride in wheel opening edges, better integrated than plugged in fenders. Front lights are pulled tight around the corners where you can see running lights, headlights and fog lights from the side. Although it doesn't show up in side view, a Pitch Black painted roof may be ordered for most, whether or not it has a moonroof.
Sideways U-shaped LED light strips appear cut off by the grille, only emphasizing the anger factor on V8 cars. Grilles vary from basic cross-hair to blacked out cross-hair to SRT's honeycomb arrangement, each more aggressive as you climb the model ladder. All use a beady-eye projector-style headlight, with bi-xenon lights on or available for most models. Mid-level models get triple element LED fog lights, but these are absent on top performance models, replaced by brake or engine cooler openings.
Tail corners lacking the old Charger's angular edges appear much sleeker and house tailpipes further inboard. They also let following traffic see plenty of tire tread, tow visual exclamation points for the badge on the tail. The arched trunk is often topped by a spoiler, size commensurate with speed, the R/T's lip not as pronounced as an SRT's raised-sides unit needed to balance the front and keep it on the ground at three miles-a-minute. With the license plate in the bumper we couldn't find anything to grasp to close the trunk without risking scratching it except the pull-handle on the inside edge.
The LED taillights now use a tube design that appears a single wrap-around tube of red light rather than a series of red dots resembling gridlock on a traffic map. LED turn and brake lights are attention-getting without being as dazzling as some.
SRT models use a unique front bumper with smaller upper grille and much larger lower grille, hence the missing cross-hair. The hood's forward-facing duct scoops cool air in, while the Hellcat's vents adjacent that scoop pull hot air out. The small slots behind the rear wheels are functional and let air out of the rear wheel wells.
Wheel finishes vary considerably, most of the V8 cars running on 20s. There are plenty of bright colors but to our eyes a Jazz Blue Pearl exterior with bronze finish wheels and a light caramel leather interior was the most striking: Complementary, elegant and not what you expect to go by in a cloud of tire smoke.
Interior Features
Charger offers full-size room, plenty of features and a good dose of practicality whether defined as flexible cargo space, a text-messaging assistant or something in between.
Finishes and materials are typical for the class, with soft-edge controls and soft-edge panels waist-high and up, with hard plastic lower doors and scuff panels for easy cleaning. However, the leather/suede upholstery on Road & Track and up is better than the average $36,000 car and the Hellcat's aluminum trim stands out. All the trim we saw was matte-finish so glare was never an issue.
Front seats are thick and well off the floor, with plenty of room for broad shoulders or hips; since the seats are relatively high, tall types will want to try on a moonroof-equipped model with the same seats to ensure they fit comfortably. Unlike some sport sedans, Charger's sport seats don't assume everyone has a 30-inch waist, yet those who do don't flop about. All Chargers have a tilt/telescoping steering column and power driver seat; some have adjustable pedals as well, so it's no trouble finding a good driving position.
Rear seats are similarly plump, with generous leg and spread-out room. Tall types don't do so well back here because of the sloping roof and rear window above. There are three integral headrests and the seat folds wide-side behind the driver in case the substantial 16-cubic-foot trunk isn't big enough. Some of those cubes may be consumed with optional stereo subwoofers but they're placed to the sides out of the way.
Cabin storage is bit above for par for a loaded rear-wheel-drive sedan, and this being a Chrysler product you have to hunt down the easter egg design touches. Many inputs and charge points are out of sight but cables can be run without being pinched or tethered in one groove.
The instrument panel is angled lightly toward the driver, with generous vents around the nav screen and instruments in a dog-bone surround. Analog speedometer and rev counter frame a configurable 7-inch color display capable of imparting hundreds of bits of information, all controlled through left-spoke thumb controls. Those are larger than average and workable in gloves better than you'd expect for 16 buttons (plus horn) on the front of the wheel. There are also radio controls on the back sides adjacent the shift paddles (bigger on SRT), so even a top texter or Morse-coder could literally have their hands full.
Stalks handle the major driving driving controls. Lights are left, with independent adjustment for dash and cabin lighting. Drive mode and safety system switches, to turn off lane-keeping assist in a construction detour, for example, are framed by volume and tuning knobs, climate control below. The inverted golf putter shifter is far better than earlier iterations. Every Charger uses push-button start and some will find keeping key in pocket less than ideal in the sport seats.
Dodge's corporate Uconnect system and 8.4-inch touchscreen remains one of the easier, more intuitive arrangements. The list of functions is daunting but using it is not: It even allows you to engage seat heat/cooling or steering wheel before agreeing to disclaimers. Everything we sampled worked as expected (plan on a month exploring the choices) and if anything's missing it wasn't obvious to us.
Driving Impressions
Charger is a big, none-to-light sedan that feels it: Solid, stable, and quiet until you give a Hemi the boot.
The standard 292 horsepower multiplied by an 8-speed automatic are more than adequate propulsion for cross-country drives or putting around the city. Both are smooth, unobtrusive and excel at highway fuel economy: We've recorded 32 mpg, and in town the weight will show with values in the high teens.
The V6 is the only engine offered with all-wheel drive, a new system that runs as rear-drive unless needed, to improve highway economy. Operation is completely automatic and transparent, simply select D and go. However, do remember all-wheel drive does not improve braking or cornering nor repeal the laws of physics.
Most Charger models, not necessarily sales, come with a V8; it's the sound and effortless thrust many expect from this mean-looking four-door. The standard 5.7-liter Hemi delivers 370 horses and 395 lb-ft of torque, the latter the greater, more useful gain over the V6. Now coupled to an 8-speed automatic EPA ratings are up to 16/25 mpg, with our experience 26 on the highway, half that in town. Big, fast and heavy have a price.
Despite the power the 5.7 is easy to drive at moderate speeds, with linear power build-up. Under low-load conditions it shuts off half the cylinders, which like the V6's all-wheel drive is done automatically and most drivers will never notice. Mash the pedal and the gearbox quickly gets the most of Hemi power, dispatching slower vehicles easily in passing zones. The Road & Track R/T's shorter axle ratio makes it slightly livelier than the R/T.
Charger's solid structure shrugs off bumps and induces no fatigue. Ride quality varies by model in subtle steps, the R/T Road & Track's fairly firm suspension remains compliant enough for sub-par roads, though you may prefer the regular R/T if that's all you drive on. R/T Road & Track stays nearly flat even when braking, accelerating or cornering hard, and it does well at all those dynamics. While the SRT models have firmer suspension calibration and stiffer tires, they also have three-step adjustable damping so ride quality remains intact, greater stick and damping available for good roads and higher speeds.
Electric-assist steering allows less effort for low-speed maneuvering and more at highway speeds, and you can vary the effort to your liking in three steps. Meaty steering wheels deliver quick response and a commendable 38-foot turning circle, and haven't given up much, if any, precision to previous Charger steering.
Scat Pack ups the ante with a 485-horse 6.4-liter Hemi, ducted hood, more aggressive bodywork, wider wheels and Brembo four-piston front brakes. It's very probably the fastest full-size four-door near its $40,000 price. It's hilarious good fun, as linear and controlled as an R/T only faster and noisier.
Then there are the big boys from SRT. The 392 runs the same (391 cubic-inch) 485-horspower 6.4 as the Scat Pack but adds massive six-piston Brembo brakes, wider-yet forged wheels and tires, adjustable dampers and launch control. If the Scat Pack is built for straight-line speed, the SRT is more built for using the power with bends as well. There were plenty of places we found it the most enjoyable to drive because of better weight distribution than the Hellcat and it was the easiest to use all of it and leave nothing on the table.
Finally there is the 707-horspower Hellcat. With tires no wider than the SRT392 and 222 horses more, it struggles to find traction at full throttle until you're beyond legal speed, like driving a lesser car with four first gears. On a drag strip initially it's traction-limited and then drives past things like 580-hp Camaros and 550-hp Mustangs. On the road you need to tread lightly; keep pushing further on the gas pedal and it feels endless, even if you're already doing 120 mph. If you measure your performance sedans in bang-for-the-buck, everything pales in comparison to the Hellcat.
At full throttle, Hellcat's exhaust note completely hides the supercharger whine. Steering effort is lighter than other Chargers because it retains hydraulic assist, but if you've dialed back all the electronic chassis aids (take the SRT school first), you can steer it with a quarter-turn and your right foot.
The safety systems in the Technology package worked as advertised, lane keep assist ready to argue with a driver who couldn't use signals. The view out is good so we never needed any warnings. All can be defeated, adaptive cruise control works to full stop, and forward collision warning does full stop at less than 20 mph, warnings and collision mitigation braking at more than 20 mph. With all the racket from the Hellcat, the deer were well aware and out of warning range.
Summary, Prices, Specs
Dodge Charger offers more choice than any other rear/all-wheel-drive full-size sedan, with more than plentiful power-per-dollar at every step. Regardless of which version you choose, Charger is a roomy, solid, balanced performer available with all the features a family can use.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent G.R. Whale filed this report from Washington, D.C.
Model Line Overview | |
Model lineup: | Dodge Charger SE ($27,995), AWD ($30,995); SXT ($29,995), AWD ($32,995); R/T ($32,995); R/T Road & Track ($35,995); R/T Scat Pack ($39,995); SRT 392 ($47,385); SRT Hellcat ($63,995) |
Engines: | 292/300-hp 3.6-liter V6, 370-hp 5.7-liter V8, 485-hp 6.4-liter V8, 707-hp 6.2-liter supercharged V8 |
Transmissions: | 8-speed automatic |
Safety equipment (standard): | dual front, front side, side curtain and driver knee airbags, electronic stability control, traction control, tire pressure monitors, hill-start assist, antilock brakes with brake assist |
Safety equipment (optional): | backup camera, rear park sensors, active cruise control with collision warning and mitigation braking, blind spot monitors, rear crossing detection, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, rain-sensing wipers, automatic high beams |
Basic warranty: | 3 years/36,000 miles |
Assembled in: | Brampton, Ontario, Canada |
Specifications As Tested | |
Model tested (MSPR): | Dodge Charger R/T Road & Track ($35,995) |
Standard equipment: | leather/Alcantara upholstery, dual-zone climate control, heated/ventilated front sport seats, power-adjustable pedals, driver seat and heated steering wheel, driver memory system, rear park assist, security alarm, HID headlamps, 60/40 split-fold rear seat, keyless entry/pushbutton start, LED cabin lighting, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, power windows/locks/heated mirrors, 8.4-inch touchscreen Uconnect Access, LED fog lights, 276-watt Alpine audio system with AM/FM/SiriusXM/Bluetooth, USB/aux inputs, SD card reader, 12VDC power outlets, 7-inch color driver display, three-mode electric power steering, LED running and taillights, 245/45ZR20 tires on aluminum wheels, 3-mode stability control, Performance Pages, heavy-duty brakes, stiffer suspension, larger differential and 3.07:1 axle ratio, high-speed engine controller (145-mph limiter), , matte black grille, rear spoiler |
Options as tested (MSPR): | Beats Audio group ($995), Technology group ($1795), Driver Confidence group ($795), navigation/rear camera ($695), moonroof ($1195), pitch black painted roof ($1500) |
Destination charge: | $995 |
Gas guzzler tax: | N/A |
Price as tested (MSPR): | $43,965 |
Layout: | rear-wheel drive |
Engine: | 5.7-liter ohv 16-valve V8 |
Horsepower (lb.-ft @ rpm): | 370 @ 5250 |
Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm): | 395 @ 4200 |
Transmission: | 8-speed automatic |
EPA fuel economy, city/hwy: | 16/25 mpg |
Wheelbase: | 120.2 in. |
Length/width/height: | 198.4/75.0/58.5 in. |
Track, f/r: | 63.4/63.8 in. |
Turning circle: | 37.7 ft. |
Seating Capacity: | 5 |
Head/hip/leg room, f: | 36.8/56.2/41.8 in. |
Head/hip/leg room, m: | N/A |
Head/hip/leg room, r: | 36.6/56.1/40.1 in. |
Cargo volume: | 16.1 cu. ft. |
Payload: | N/A |
Towing capacity: | N/A |
Suspension, f: | independent, coil springs, antiroll bar |
Suspension, r: | independent, five-link, coil springs, antiroll bar |
Ground clearance: | 5.4 in. |
Curb weigth: | 4264 lbs. |
Tires: | P245/45ZR20 |
Brakes, f/r: | vented disc/vented disc, with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist |
Fuel capacity: | 18.5 gal. |
Unless otherwise indicated, specifications refer to test vehicle. All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSPR) effective as of December 10, 2014.Prices do not include manufacturer's destination and delivery charges. N/A: Information not available or not applicable. Manufacturer Info Sources: 800-4A-DODGE - www.dodge.com |
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Karkidaka Masam, or Karkidakam Month, is the last month in the traditional Malayalam calendar followed in Kerala. Karkidakam 1, 2024 is on July 16. The month is also known as the Ramayana Masam – the epic Ramayan is read in the month in homes and temples. The monsoon rains are at its peak in Karkidakam month. In 2023, Karkidaka Masam begins on July 16 and ends on August 16.
Karkidaka Vavu Bali a ritual dedicated to the dead ancestors and relatives is performed on the Amavasya or no moon day in the Karkidaka Masam. Thousands of people visit the seashores and riverbanks to perform the ritual.
Two decades ago, Karkidaka Masam used to be one of the difficult months due to heavy rains and floods. Majority of the people depended on agriculture and this month used to be the month of scarcity. With the farm fields flooded, there used to be no work and the economy used to come to a stand still. In some places, due to the rains, it was even hard to venture outside the house. To ward off nature's fury people used to read the Ramayana in the month.
But things have changed and the there are no heavy rains and agriculture in Kerala. But still people follow certain rituals in Karkidakam month.
New ventures and auspicious functions are not held during the month by Hindus.
Another highlight of Karkidakam month is the specific ayurvedic treatments followed by people. Some people drink Karkidaka Kanji, a gruel mixed with herbs and medicines, in the month.
Many devout Hindus conduct pujas and rituals dedicated to Goddess Bhagavati (Shakti) like Bhagavathi seva in their homes during this month to ward of evil. The Lalitha Sahasranamam is chanted to invoke Goddess Devi and archanas are offered. In most Devi Temples there is Sahasranama Archanas every day in the evening of Karkidakam month. Special payasams are prepared in some homes and temples.


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This article is more than 1 year old
VMware's fiscal roller coaster tumbles through Q2
Will offer ESXi for free
Wall Street expectations have once again overshadowed VMware's financial results in its second fiscal quarter 2008.
But that's really the story of its life.
The virtualization giant's Q2 revenue jumped 54 per cent from a year ago. GAAP adjusted income was $61m, compared to $47m year-over-year.
Total revenues for the second quarter were $456m. Broken down: revenues from the US grew 43 per cent to $240, and international revenues grew 68 per cent to $216m.
Cash on-hand exceeded $1.5bn and deferred revenue was $271m as of June 30, 2008.
Certainly not a bad showing. But all eyes were on VMware's financial results today to see its forecast for the full year. The explosively successful company is currently top dog in a new age of increased competition. Analysts are circling to spot a weakness.
Earlier this month, VMware kicked its CEO and co-founder Diane Greene to the curb after the company forecast its full year earnings would be "modestly below" previous expectations of 50 per cent growth over 2007.
As the new boss of only a few weeks making his public debut, former Microsoft exec Paul Maritz specified that the growth will be 42 per cent to 45 per cent for the year.
Investors apparently aren't impressed with the company's definition of "modest." VMware's stock price plunged more than 15 per cent (or is that plunged modestly?) in after-hours trading.
The virtualization house blames the ever-increasing economic headwinds and say that customers are more reluctant to sign long-term contracts now that Microsoft has arrived on the scene with the Hyper-V hypervisor.
Maritz assured investors and analysts today that it's more a matter of customers weighing their options than a loss of sales to Microsoft's rival product, which he calls "much less mature," than VMware's more extensive virtualization offerings.
"I know Microsoft is a formidable, but not invincible competitor," said Maritz. "It can play a long waiting game. But if a competitor has a lead and invests to stay ahead, they can be very hard to catch — even for Microsoft."
But in certain cases, customers are foregoing discounts that come with signing for the long term - and taking shorter contracts.
One analyst noted during VMware's conference call today that the trend may in fact be a return to contract-signing normalcy rather than a downturn. VMware predictably denies the notion.
Still, Martiz admits there's action to be taken. He sees the company entering a third phase of its life. Phase one was establishing the hypervisor, and phase two was going beyond that to be a virtual infrastructure provider for desktops and servers.
The third step will be "dramatically extending virtual infrastructure technology and products to more uses and users," said Martiz.
That means offering lower priced products for VMware infrastructure to target small and medium businesses. It's something VMware desperately needs now that competitors are offering their wares much cheaper, and even free.
Martiz also intends to become less dependent on sales in the US, Europe and Australia by expanding to developing countries. This is a move several big tech companies have been using to avoid economic doldrums haunting the industry.
Free ESXi?
VMware hinted at some upcoming news as well. Martiz said the company expects to seize an opportunity with "one of the largest SaaS providers," to use their software for backup recovery.
More tantalizing, Martiz said the next version of ESXi (the light-weight version of VMware's ESX hypervisor) will arrive in upcoming weeks and will "take the product price to zero."
That's certainly good news. But it was a long time coming. ®


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Spongebob Comics #30
SpongeBob's dream of starring in the Boating School play have finally come true - but is the audience, and Mrs. Puff, ready for SpongeBob's unorthodox acting choices? Please hold your applause until the end of "Puff's Pageant." Then, in "Bottled Up," SpongeBob is stuck inside a glass bottle (He has his reasons!) and experiences one treacherous humiliation after another. Who can rescue our porous pal? Also in this issue: SpongeBob creates a friend to keep him company by the grill; Pearl wins a sculpture contest; and Mr. Krabs is "down with the kids." All this plus SpongeFunnies by James Kochalka (Johnny Boo) and flipbook fun by Bob Flynn (Bravest Warriors).
Cover Illustrator


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Skip Heitzig ministers to over 15,000 people as senior pastor of Calvary Albuquerque. He reaches out to thousands across the nation and throughout the world through his multimedia ministry. He is the author of several books including The Bible from 30,000 Feet, Defying Normal, You Can Understand the Book of Revelation, and How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It. He has also published over two dozen booklets in the Lifestyle series, covering aspects of Christian living. He serves on several boards, including Samaritan's Purse and Harvest.
Skip and his wife, Lenya, and son and daughter-in-law, Nathan and Janaé, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Skip and Lenya are the proud grandparents of Seth Nathaniel and Kaydence Joy.


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Hammerhead "nursery" discovered in the Galapagos Islands
QUITO, Ecuador (AP)—Researchers in Ecuador say they have discovered a "nursery" of hammerhead sharks off the coast of the Galapagos Islands, a find that may help them track and protect the endangered predators.
The head of the project, Eduardo Espinosa, said the group had found 20 hammerheads in the area along Santa Cruz island, and was able to attach monitors to five of them.
"That site, where the babies spent two or three years, is important not only for the Galapagos but on a world scale because it gives hope for the protection and conservation of a species," he said.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists hammerhead sharks as endangered species that have suffered sharply declining numbers in recent years around the world. They are vulnerable partly because they breed relatively few times, their schools are sometimes caught in fishing nets and their fins are prized in Asian markets.
Marine biologist Alex Hearn of San Francisco University in Quito said researchers had believed that the hammerheads gave birth along continental coasts, so the discovery of the island nursery opens new lines of study.
The hammerheads are an attraction for divers visiting the Galapagos, about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of the mainland, and an image of a hammerhead is part of the Galapagos National Park's emblem.


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Finding Bigfoot Producer Says "San Juan Mountain Bigfoot" Footage Appears To Be Authentic
While vacationing in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, a hiker saw what he thought was a bear in the distance, but it turned it to be a very large hairy man. It's seen walking out from the trees and then squatting next to the stream right before the video ends.
We were a little skeptical about this footage since we weren't able to get a hold of the YouTube user who uploaded it.
Now it sounds like the footage was recently put through a preliminary investigation by the Finding Bigfoot team and they think the creature in the video could be a real sasquatch.
This tidbit was posted on FB/FB's wall today:
One of the producers of Animal Planet's Hit TV show informed FBFB that they have completed a preliminary investigation and the Youtube video, "Bigfoot of the San Juans" appears to be authentic. Just an FYI. (We have not done an analysis on the film.)
The San Juans cover 12,000+ square miles of southwestern Colorado, about an eighth of the state. The mountains are relatively new, geologically speaking, and are among the highest and most rugged in North America. Hundreds of San Juan peaks rise above 13,000 feet and many surpass 14,000 feet. The terrain consist of rotten rock, knife-edge ridges and steep slopes covered with debris the size and shape of ball bearings.
The San Juan Mountains, in southwest Colorado, are the most rugged and extensive mountainous region in the state - an ocean of mountains that extends as far as the eye can see. |


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Korg kross 61-key synthesizer workstation
Mobile 61-key synthesizer keyboard with impressive features.
A new entry-level workstation keyboard and more powerful replacement for the X50, the KROSS 61 features a sound engine derived from Krome, a 16-track sequencer with Electribe-style editing, two-channel audio recording with unlimited overdub, seven simultaneous effects, and AA battery or AC adapter operation.
With the KROSS, the sounds and songs that
you've created at home and the system that you use every day can go with
you onto the stage or into the street! Featuring rich sounds that
exceed its class, yet remaining highly portable, the KROSS is designed
for practical usability. There's a convenient mic input and a built-in
audio recorder, and it can run on 6 x AA batteries. It's a distinctive
new standard in music workstations, with specs and style that set it
apart from all others.
The creative color and design will project
a powerful presence whether you're performing on stage or anywhere
else. The top panel as seen by the player is a sleek black color, while
the rear and side panels visible by the audience use a bold, red color
scheme. The two models feature different design concepts; the 61-key
model is designed for active mobile use, while the 88-key model has a
sophisticated design that looks great on stage.
A lightweight body that runs on AA alkaline batteries
spite of being packed with functionality, the KROSS is lightweight and
highly portable. The 61-key model with its distinctive rear bar is
amazingly light; at only 4.3 kg/9.5 lb, it's the most portable in its
category. The 88-key model packs a piano-touch hammer action keyboard
into a mere 12.4 kg/27.3 lbs. Both models are highly portable and
lightweight, and can operate on an AC adapter or on six AA alkaline or
nickel-metal hydride batteries.
A wide variety of sounds
of its portability, the KROSS will be used in a wide range of
situations, and that's why it provides a broad variety of sounds that
surpasses even the flagship models of the previous generation. The PCM
data is approximately twice as large as preceding models such as the X50
and the PS60. Staples such as the frequently-used rock/jazz organ,
strings, brass, and synth sounds have been brushed up. There are also
instruments such as toy piano, accordion, combo organ, church organ, and
even vintage instruments such as a tape sampler, as well as bell-type
sounds and the sounds you need for cutting-edge dance music and
electronica - unique sounds that have not been included in a synth of
this class. Our design goal has been to make KROSS the only instrument
you need.
Sound Selector makes it easy to find the sound you're looking for
the KROSS provides an extremely broad range of sounds, there are two
dedicated dials that let you easily find the sound you need. First use
the category dial to choose the broad category such as piano, electric
piano, organ, bell, synths, basses, or strings. Then turn the select
dial to find the sound you want. It's a quick way to focus on selecting
the needed sounds without being distracted by sounds of another type.
Favorites function lets you register 64 selected sounds or audio songs for one-touch access
that you've created or that you use frequently can be registered to
four banks of 16 buttons, giving you a total of 64 sounds that can be
recalled at a single touch. This is a real convenience during live
performances or song production. You can also register audio songs and
recall them along with sounds.
Pro-quality EDS-i sound engine is built-in
EDS-i sound engine is a high-quality sound engine distilled from the
EDS/EDS-X sound engines found on Korg's most advanced instruments. It
allows you to use a total of seven effects simultaneously: five insert
effects and two master effects. Ranging from standards such as delay,
reverb, chorus, flanger, and rotary speaker, and also including amp
modeling powered by Korg's proprietary "REMS" modeling technology, and
even a robot voice vocoder, you can choose from 134 different
high-quality effects.
Quick Layer/Split function
buttons are provided for Layer/Split settings. Start by selecting the
first program you want to use; then press the dedicated button to enable
Layer or Split. When this is on, a screen will appear in which you can
choose the other sound and specify details such as the split point. Then
simply write your settings and the layer/split sound will be saved as a
Stereo audio recorder allows you to overdub your performances and vocals
built-in stereo audio recorder can record not only the performance of
the KROSS itself, but also the sound of a mic or external input. You can
play backing tracks that you created, or overdub onto them to create
songs and demos. Audio can be imported and exported as WAV files using
an SD card (separately sold), making it easy to exchange material with
your computer.
- Stylish and distinctive red and black two-tone color design
- The lightweight body is only 4.3 kg/9.5 lbs
- Can be powered by 6x AA batteries
- Piano, electric piano, and drum sounds that exceed its class
- A wide variety of sounds that utilize twice as much PCM memory as previous instruments, and meet the needs of a broad range of musical styles
- Sound Selector makes it easy to find the sound you're looking for
- Favorites function lets you register 64 selected sounds or audio songs for one-touch access - a great feature for live performances
- Pro-quality EDS-i sound engine built-in, with a total of seven effects available for simultaneous use
- External input jacks allow a mic or external audio source to be directly connected.
- Quick Layer/Split function for on-the-fly versatility
- Stereo audio recorder allows you to record and overdub your performances and vocals
- Step sequencer inherited from the Electribe, a 16-track MIDI sequencer, a drum track, and an arpeggiator
- Connects to your computer via USB for plug-in integration with your favorite DAW
- Sustain pedal sold separately
Korg kross 61-key synthesizer workstation
- Brand: Korg
- Product Code: KROSS61
- Availability: In Stock


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Rejecting edits from anonymous users adding "plz to help of working things" is getting a bit tiresome. I haven't had to do it a lot, but I don't believe I've ever seen an anonymous edit that was worth anyone's time, which makes me wonder if this feature has any benefit.
What proportion of anonymous edits are accepted? Is this proportion enough to outweigh the crappy suggestions that people have to review?
Edit: It appears that 13/66 have been approved (3 of those improved) on Android, though that includes a few that should not have been approved. Possibly my view is skewed by this and other sites have more success with them, especially given my small sample size. I'd love to be proven wrong here :P. (Another even smaller sample: 3/6 on Music.)


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I Come to Praise Fans, Not to Bury Them – From the Bird's Nest
Yesterday, I wrote a blog concerning the Cajuns' latest victory in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. I was critical of a small group of fans who complained about the Cajuns' victory. Yep, they claim to be Cajuns fans. Many of them are the same fans who railed against the administration at UL for accepting a bid to the bowl in the Crescent City, suggesting the Cajuns should have held out for something "better." (Whatever that is.)
I wrote the article knowing, since the majority of fans are positive and excited, that I would be complimented. I also knew some of those miserable people would rip me for daring to criticize anyone in the UL fan base.
Well, to both groups, let me explain. I did it to prove a point.
It was to show the negative nellies that two can play the game of taking something wonderful (the UL fan base or the success of the program) and turning it into a negative.
Which is what those folks are doing when they criticize three straight bowl appearances and 27 wins, including the one Saturday night.
But hey, the good news is (as Stevie P. would say), those fans are few and far between.
You want to see TRUE Cajuns fans? Watch a replay of the game and take a look at the passion, the determination and the unbridled joy of nearly 40,000 Cajun faithful who were in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Saturday night.
Those folks get it. And there are a LOT of them.
True, some of them are fairly new fans. But you know what? They're more than welcome to enjoy the ride. They're now buying season tickets, joining the RCAF, buying Cajuns apparel and understanding that winning is, always has been, and always will be, fun.
And, for the Cajun fan who was around for those dark days I talked about yesterday, the last three years have been especially euphoric. They waited. They were faithful. They were buying and giving when no one else would. They, like me, remember downright terrible football. And, they all know it is now a thing of the past. Those fans will never be dissatisfied with nine wins, although they'll want the program to strive to be better. Those fans will never be dissatisfied with a bowl bid, regardless of where it is. And, those fans will always cherish a bowl win, regardless of how it is accomplished.
The passion of Cajun fans was best put into perspective by Karl Benson, the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference during halftime of the game on Saturday. He said there is no other school in America that travels its average attendance to a bowl game.
Think about that.
The Cajuns in 2013 averaged 25,975 fans. This year, they sold over 21,000 tickets to the game in New Orleans. That's just at the UL ticket office. That doesn't count those who bought the tickets online through Ticketmaster or those who purchased tickets the day of the game.
Trust me, no other fan base in America comes close to that.
Then, add to that the fact Cajun fans went into another schools home stadium and took it over, drawing three to four times more fans than their "home" opponent. You're not going to find THAT anywhere else at a bowl game, either.
Can you imagine Michigan traveling 100,000 to the Rose Bowl. Or LSU traveling 90,000 to the Outback Bowl?
That should put it all in perspective for you.
So you see...we all can harp on the negative, whether it be talking about the program or the fan base. But the bottom line is this.
Those loud, obnoxious, negative fans are few and far between, just as losses the last three years have been. The others are the ones Mark Hudspeth says are the best fans in America, enjoying the wave of success and never taking it for granted.
That's the REAL Cajun Nation.
Merry Christmas Everyone. Hope you get to hug the ones you love.


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Utah's New Immigration Bills: A Blast From the Past
The state laws have been called "the nation's most liberal," but they're not much different from Cold War-era deportation policies.
David Bacon
Last week the Utah legislature passed three new laws that have been hailed in the media as a new, more reasonable, approach to immigration policy. Reasonable, that is, compared to Arizona's S.B. 1070, which would allow police to stop anyone, demand immigration papers and hold her or him for deportation. Utah's law was signed by Republican Governor Gary Herbert on Tuesday, March 15. Arizona's S.B. 1070 is currently being challenged in court.
Utah's bills were called "the anti-Arizona" by Frank Sharry, head of America's Voice, a Washington D.C. immigration lobbying firm. According to Lee Hockstader, on the Washington Post's editorial staff, the laws are "the nation's most liberal – and most reality-based – policy on illegal immigration."
The Utah laws, however, are not new. And they're certainly not liberal, at least towards immigrants and workers. Labor supply programs for employers, with deportations and diminished rights for immigrants, have marked U.S. immigration policy for more than 100 years.
One bill would establish a state system to allow employers to bring people from the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon as "guest workers." Under this program, workers would have to remain employed to stay in the country. They would not have the same set of labor and social rights as people living in the communities around them. Another bill would give undocumented workers now living in Utah a similar guest worker status, lasting two years. The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) says the third bill, the Arizona look-alike, "requires police to interrogate individuals and verify their immigration status in a wide array of situations, promoting harmful and costly incentives for law enforcement to racially profile."
Utah, like most states in the west and Midwest, has been down this road before.
From 1930 to 1935, 345,839 Mexicans were deported from the United States. Last year alone, the federal government deported almost 400,000. Given the growth in population, this is about the equivalent of that Depression-era wave.
In those years, "the climate of scathing anti-Mexican sentiment created intense polarization, producing a sweeping suspicion of foreigners … which linked housing congestion, strained relief services and social ills to the large presence of Mexicans," recounts Zaragosa Vargas, professor at the University of North Carolina. Most immigrants in Utah were farm workers, many laboring in sugar beet fields for the Mormon-backed Utah and Idaho Sugar Company. Their wages were so low that families went hungry even when they were working. When beet workers in nearby Colorado tried to organize a union and went on strike, Vargas says their communities were targeted with deportations.
Then W.W. II created a labor shortage. To supply workers to growers at low wages, the government started the bracero contract labor program, bringing immigrants first into the beet fields of Stockton, California, and then into the rest of the country in 1942.
Braceros were treated as disposable, dirty and cheap. Herminio Quezada Durán, who came to Utah from Chihuahua, says ranchers often had agreements between each other to exchange or trade braceros as necessary for work. Jose Ezequiel Acevedo Perez, who came from Jerez, Zacatecas, remembers the humiliation of physical exams that treated Mexicans as louse-ridden.
"We were stripped naked in front of everyone," he remembers, and sprayed with DDT, now an outlawed pesticide. Men in some camps were victims of criminals and pimps. Juan Contreras, from Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, tactfully recalls that "in Utah, women often went to the camps, and they were rumored to be especially fond of Mexican men."
Utah and Idaho Sugar first used labor from the Japanese internment camps in Minidoka, Idaho; Topaz, Utah; and Heart Mountain, Wyoming. When that wasn't enough, they brought in braceros.
At the height of the cold war, in the late 1950s, the combination of enforcement and contract labor reached a peak. In 1954, 1,075,168 Mexicans were deported from the U.S. And from 1956 to 1959, between 432,491 and 445,197 braceros were brought in each year.
The Civil Rights Movement ended the bracero program, and created an alternative to the deportation regime. Chicano activists of the 1960s – Ernesto Galarza, Cesar Chavez, Bert Corona, Dolores Huerta and others – convinced Congress in 1964 to repeal Public Law 78, the law authorizing the bracero program. Farm workers went on strike the year after in Delano, California, and the United Farm Workers was born. They also helped to convince Congress in 1965 to pass immigration legislation that established new pathways for legal immigration - the family preference system. People could reunite their families in the U.S. Migrants received permanent residency visas, allowing them to live normal lives, and enjoy basic human and labor rights. Essentially, a family- and community-oriented system replaced the old labor supply/deportation program.
The new (old) deportation regime
Today Congress, and now the states, are sliding back into those cold war ideas. That slide didn't start in Salt Lake City. For five years Congress has debated, and almost passed, bills that would have done the same thing – vastly increased immigration enforcement and set up huge new guest worker programs. Some undocumented people might have been able to gain legal status, but most bills would have forced them into a temporary status, a la Utah.
This combination was defended by Michael Chertoff, secretary of Homeland Security under President Bush. "There's an obvious solution to the problem of illegal work," he said, "which is you open the front door and you shut the back door." "Opening the front door" refers to guest worker programs, and "closing the back door" means heavy immigration enforcement.
The Council on Foreign Relations proposed the same goals when President Obama took office. "We should reform the legal immigration system," its 2009 report advocated, "so that it operates more efficiently, responds more accurately to labor market needs, and enhances U.S. competitiveness." At the same time, "we should restore the integrity of immigration laws through an enforcement regime that strongly discourages employers and employees from operating outside that legal system." This again couples labor at competitive, or low, wages, with an enforcement regime of raids and firings.
Sound like Utah?
Today the number of deportations is rising. Thousands of undocumented workers are being fired from their jobs as part of the same enforcement policy. And in California, for instance, where only one grower historically used the current H2-A federal guest worker program for farm workers, dozens are now using it today. What Congress couldn't or wouldn't pass is becoming the reality on the ground.
Utah's guest worker bill was written by a dairy farmer. "The root of this discussion is productivity," according to the bill's sponsor, State Rep. Bill Wright. To this conservative Republican, no one has a right to a job, immigrant or native-born. "People think because you're born here … 'I have a right to that job, I'm going to charge what I want for my labor even if I'm not productive.' Wrong."
But if those immigrants try to organize and get more expensive, or are just lazy and don't work, he warns, they "need to go."
The Utah bills were the product of negotiations, called the Utah Compact, between the Salt Lake Chamber, a statewide business group; and the Salt Lake City Police Department and mayor's office. The Mormon Church of Latter Day Saints and the Catholic Church signed off on it, as did some local immigrant advocates.
An unconstitutional overreach
One thing, however, that many other anti-immigrant nativists and immigrant rights advocates agree on, for different reasons, is that Utah's bills are unconstitutional. Dan Stein, president of the anti-immigrant Federation for American Immigration Reform, says, "States do not have the constitutional authority to write their own immigration policies." FAIR wants the Federal government to stop almost all immigration and deport the 12 million undocumented people living in the United States. It sees the Utah bills as too weak, although it supports Arizona's SB 1070.
NILC's Marielena Hincapie calls the Utah laws "fundamentally unconstitutional. Taken together, the laws signify an even more sweeping state takeover of federal immigration regulation." NILC supports legislation legalizing undocumented people, and believes it must pass at a Federal level.
One prominent Washington D.C. immigration think tank, the Immigration Policy Center, supported the labor supply/enforcement/legalization bills of the last few years. It also criticizes the constitutionality of state immigration bills, but declares, "Enforcement strategies must be coupled with reform of our legal system of immigration in order to meet legitimate labor force needs."
That declaration moves beyond states' rights to set immigration policy, and restates a vision it believes should guide immigration reform. But is it an alternative to the Utah bills?
Some immigration reformers argue for a different system, as Chicano and Asian activists did in the 1960s, that would give immigrants a way to come to the U.S with social equality and rights. Among them are the Binational Front of Indigenous Organizations in California and Oaxaca, Derechos Humanos in Tucson, Ariz., the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, and the AFL-CIO's constituency group for Latino workers, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. They've agreed on the basic principles of what they call the Dignity Campaign.
People coming to the U.S. would have access to permanent residence, rather than being forced into guest worker programs. The current wave of deportations and mass firings would be halted, while protections for labor and human rights would be strengthened. To diminish job competition in an era of high unemployment, the Federal government would establish programs guaranteeing a job for anyone wanting to work. And U.S. trade policy in countries like Mexico would stop promoting unemployment and poverty, which boost corporate profits but create the pressure for migration.
Utah's laws are no closer to changing U.S. immigration policy than are these proposals. In reality, political movement towards immigration reform is deadlocked in Washington D.C. No legislation in Salt Lake City will change that.
But that's not really its purpose. Utah legislators want to popularize an immigration policy that has strong corporate support and deep historical roots, in one of the most conservative, Republican statues in the country. And they are well on the road toward accomplishing that.
I hope you found this article important. Before you leave, I want to ask you to consider supporting our work with a donation. In These Times needs readers like you to help sustain our mission. We don't depend on—or want—corporate advertising or deep-pocketed billionaires to fund our journalism. We're supported by you, the reader, so we can focus on covering the issues that matter most to the progressive movement without fear or compromise.
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Love Tech Systems
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